Taking a Family City Break in Europe
In life pre-children there was nothing we loved more than taking a city break. We made the most of a weekend away filled with leisurely lunches and relaxed coffee breaks in local cafes. Lots of evening drinks in bars by the sea, atmospheric squares, taking in the sunset or overlooking the city-scape. Of course there were also yummy dinners accompanied by local wine exploring restaurants in different neighbourhoods. Obviously the whole weekend mostly revolved around food and drink but we did also enjoy exploring all the tourist attractions of the city too! A family city break is a very different experience but no less special.
Life after children is clearly different in many ways. To begin with we weren’t sure whether this kind of trip would be able to have the same appeal. However, you never know until you try and we have discovered that a family city break can be just as much fun. Still very food and drink orientated- it’s all about the snacks with kids isn’t it! Although the long leisurely lunches/ evening meals have to be planned a bit more carefully!
Top tips for planning you family city break
Don’t rush!
You won’t be able to cram the same number of tourist attractions into each day as you did pre-kids. If you do you will have tired and cranky kids by the end of the day!
Depending on how much time you have for your family city break, plan out before you go which top attractions you really want to see. Take into account things that the children will like too- this will obviously vary with the ages of your children.
Plan in child-friendly activities
We try to have at least one activity that we know the children will love each day. This could be just a trip to a local park (a great way to see the way the locals live), a child-friendly museum, the local beach or castle. If you intersperse these activities/ sights with the more adult-orientated ones you keep everyone happy.
Think about meal locations on your family city break
You don’t have to give up on the leisurely meals/ drinks but plan carefully where you have these. A beach with a restaurant/ cafe works brilliantly. The kids get to play in the sand while you enjoy a relaxing drink/ meal. We have also found that city squares work really well for evening drinks or meals. Often the kids can play in the square where you keep an eye on them rather than getting bored sat at the table.
Make the most of nap time
If you have a toddler or baby that will sleep on the move, maximise the quiet of nap time. Try to time visits to museums/ sights that they wouldn’t be interested in while they are sleeping. They don’t miss out and you get to relax a bit more. You can enjoy the visit without rushing around trying to coral a bored toddler.
Enjoy the city from a different perspective
Enjoy seeing the city through someone else’s eyes! This is my favourite part of a family city break. I love seeing new places through the eyes of my children- it gives a totally different perspective.
Our top picks for a family city break in Europe
Choose your destination carefully. Some cities are well set up for families and others less so. It is worth doing a little research to choose carefully based on the age(s) of your children. Here are some of our favourite family city breaks.
Barcelona
I had been to Barcelona a couple of times pre-children and loved it so already knew it would be a great destination for children. This city has it all- beaches, museums, cool architecture that even children find interesting and great food. It even has a castle and a cable car! Find out all our top tips after our family city break in Barcelona here.
Copenhagen
We had a toddler when we visited Copenhagen- the age I still think is the most difficult for travel! Copenhagen was a brilliant family city break for us. I mean all children love theme parks and Copenhagen has Tivoli gardens which is the oldest in the world! It’s not just all about Tivoli gardens though there are also loads of other family-friendly attractions too. Check out our recommendations here.
Porto
This is a city which I felt I didn’t know much about and totally exceeded my expectations. In fact it’s probably one of my favourite cities that I’ve been to. Like Barcelona there is a beach (short metro ride away) as well as plentiful child-friendly museums and parks. For the adults there is lots of port tasting opportunities! Here are our favourite sights in Porto.
Venice
I visited Venice as a student on a summer inter-rail trip, and loved how different it was to all the other European cities we visited. It’s this difference that makes it so appealing to children too. Make sure you visit the islands other than the main central ones. There are also nearby beaches if the kids want a break from canals.
Palma de Mallorca
For decades Mallorca has been popular with British holiday makers for the beautiful sun-drenched beaches. The beaches are definitely worth visiting but the capital of Mallorca, Palma is a worthwhile destination in its own right! This could be done in a daytrip as part of a longer holiday in another part of the island or a shorter family city break (there are beaches here to enjoy too). We went as a day trip while on holiday in northern Mallorca, but I am definitely keen to go back for longer!
Dubrovnik
I have never watched it but for many people Dubrovnik is now synonymous with game of thrones! Even if like me you have never seen an episode, Dubrovnik is a jewel of a city. There is plenty to keep you and your family entertained for a short break or you can combine a stay with visiting other parts of Croatia.
Paris
The city of romance and probably not necessarily the first place you think of as somewhere for a family city break. But there are lots of iconic sights that all the family can enjoy and of course if you have the time there is disneyland Paris right on the doorstep. We actually went to Disneyland Paris on a totally separate trip but it would be easy to combine the two depending on how much time you have.
Other factors to consider when choosing your family city break
Transport
Depending on where you are based some cities will be much easier to get to than others. If you only have a long weekend or a few days you probably want to limit the amount of travel time. With children in tow you probably aren’t going to want multiple flights or long transfers for a few days. I usually use skyscanner in the first place to look at the flight options from my local airports to see if it looks like it would be doable. It is worth keeping options open if you can in terms of airports and days to travel as this may have an impact on the cost and availability of flights.
Time of year for your family city break
For some cities this won’t make too much difference although it may change your experience of the city. This means it depends if you have a preconceived idea of how you want to spend your time there. Do you want to be eating your meals sat outside as much as possible? Would you like to try and do lots of outdoor activities? Do you want to experience the snow and warming cafes/ restaurants or Christmas markets? You are going to need to check the temperature and weather for the time of year that is going to best match what you want.
If you are open to any kind of city experience you can be dictated by when you have the free time. Or find a time of year when the travel costs are low, usually in low season for that destination. Travelling in low-season can have other advantages. It may be less crowded and easier to get around but can also have disadvantages. Some tourist attractions may close during quieter times or have shorter opening hours.
Affordability
For some this may not be an issue but in reality for many of us it can be a big deciding factor. It’s important to take into account all the possible costs of the trip including transport, accommodation, food and drink as well as entry fees for any attractions your may want to visit.
Linking in (or avoiding) major events
This could be major international sporting events such as the Olympics- a really magical time to experience a city. Or experiencing a music concert or festival of a family favourite band or singer. Having a purpose to a trip other than just seeing the tourist sites can add another layer of excitement to a trip. We had an amazing time in London for the olympics when Chloe was just a baby. As a couple we have also had a few international trips running marathons which I have loved.
Alternatively if you aren’t interested in a major event in your city of choice you may want to avoid these. Major events usually lead to places being much busier and hotels often increase their prices according to demand.
Use special interests to plan your family city break
Do you have a child with a favourite sports team that would love to go watch a game or even just visit the sporting stadium? Do you have a child that is fascinated by world war 2 and is desperate to go the Anne Frank museum after learning about it at school? Especially as children start to get a bit older it is good to take into consideration any preferences they might have. If they don’t have anything specific that they are in to you can at least include them in the discussion of what kind of things they would like to do on the trip, even if it is just go to the park! Children are likely to get much more excited about a trip if they have had input in to planning it.
The above are just our top tips for a family city break but there are soooo many cities waiting to be explored around Europe and further afield so get planning!
